Pastoral Letters

Devotion to God

September 25, 2016 Author:Rev (Dr) Andrew Tan
The Chinese and English cell groups have been studying (and analysing!) the book written by Jerry Bridges, “The Practice of Godliness.”  The author correctly comments: “There is no higher compliment that can be paid to a Christian than to call him a godly person.  He might be a conscientious parent, a zealous church worker, a dynamic spokesman for Christ, or a talented Christian leader, but none of these things matter if, at the same time, he is not a godly person” (page 13).  But godliness is possible only if the foundation is right, and that foundation is “Devotion to God.”  Only when a person is devoted to God will he live a godly life for God.  He defines godliness as “devotion to God that results in a life that is pleasing to Him.”

But how does a Christian develop devotion for God?  Bridges uses a diagram to explain this foundation

Devotion to God English

“Fear of God” and “Love of God” must increase together.  This will lead to an increase in your desire for God.  Your desire is “the highest expression of that devotion” (page 20).  In other words, your devotion to God is shown by how much you desire God.  The natural result of that desire for God or devotion to God is a life of godliness.  Such godliness results from a deep desire for or devotion to God in your heart.

Hence, you must increase in your fear of God and increase in your love of God , that is, experiencing the love God has for you.  But how can a Christian increase in the “fear of God and “love of God”?  “Fear of God” comes from the fact that God will discipline a Christian when he sins.  But for a Christian, the fear of God refers primarily to an attitude of “veneration and honour, reverence and awe” (page 21) when we think about how holy, majestic, and glorious God is (page 21).  The feeling is like when a person is in the presence of an earthly king.  Read Isaiah 6 or Revelation 1:17. 

When a Christian fears God, only then will he understand how much God loves him.  Why so?  God hates sin and is holy, glorious, and almighty.  Yet He still loves you so as to send Jesus His only Son to die for you.  You will then say: “How could a glorious and holy God love such an unworthy sinner like me?  Truly, God loves me!”  Thus, it is only when you understand how fearful and awesome God is that you can then truly understand how much God loves you. 

I urge you to remind yourself every day of the fact of the awesomeness of God and the love of God.  Read Isaiah 6 and Revelation 1:12-18.  Meditate on the glory of God.  Then you will fear God.  Read Matthew 27:27-50 to understand how much Jesus loves you that He willingly suffered and died on the cross for you.  Then you will understand how much God loves you.  In this way you will grow in your desire for God.  You will then be devoted to God and live a godly life.  May you become a Christian of whom people say: “He/She is a godly person.”  This is high praise.